Inflatable air mattress pull band

ABSTRACT

A pull band for an inflatable air mattress particularly of medium and large sizes to provide for the mattress excellent elongation and self-balanced mechanism is divided into an upper and a lower portions to respectively jointed to the upper and the lower perimeters of the mattress in symmetric, corresponding and inverse fashion to form an enclosure for providing pull strength to regulate the form of and to support the mattress; the band yielding support for the mattress saturated with the air to effectively cope with external pressure for maintaining in shape; and the mattress being automatically restored to its shape once the external pressure is released.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a pull band for an inflatable airmattress of medium or large size, and more particularly to one thatprovides an excellent elongation and automatic restoration mechanism.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Whereas most of inflatable products generally available in the marketare for entertaining, sports and leisure activities, the product isinflated without compromising its handy and lightweight features tooperate on land or surface.

An inflatable air mattress (A1) of the prior art as illustrated in FIG.1 of the accompanying drawings having been introduced into the marketfor many years contains multiple pull rings (A2) and a pull band (A3),both being critical to whether the mattress (A1) maintains its shape inuse or not. Those pull rings (A2) are arranged in a check fashion andeach is disposed with an air vent channel (A21) to provide airconvection between them and the mattress (A1). The primary purpose,however, of those pull rings (A2) is to prevent the inflated mattress(A1) from becoming a spherical shape by maintaining the top and thebottom of the mattress (A1) in parallel to each other.

To improve pull strength on four sides of the mattress (A1) and keep itin a fixed form, four pull bands (A3) are provided in the mattress (A1)to respectively lay flushed against four sides of the mattress (A1) toprovide traction for its top and the bottom. Accordingly, four sides ofthe mattress (A1) are prevented from bulging and the mattress (A1) iskept in a consistent form.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a band (A3) is comprised of four individualsections (A3), two identical shorter sections and two identical longersections. Those four sections (A3) of the band (A3) directly andvertically connect the top and the bottom of the mattress (A1) toprovide traction mechanism by vertical link. However, the prior art ofthe band is found with the following flaws:

-   1. Whereas the band (A3) inside the mattress (A1) are divided into    four sections to respectively provide traction for two shorter and    two longer sides of the mattress (A1), the traction forces exerted    are naturally unbalanced; and four corners of the mattress (A1) tend    to bulge due to the absence of the pull strength. Eventually, the    mattress (A1) is not properly aligned.-   2. Whereas the band (A3) inside the mattress (A1) directly and    vertically connects the top and the bottom of the mattress (A1),    such application of force is referred as a linear pull force in    dynamics. Therefore, once the mattress (A1) is inflated, there is    the absence of traction on the tope edge and sidewalls of the    mattress (A) to pop up to negatively affect the appearance of the    entire mattress.-   3. For the same reason given in the preceding subparagraph 2, the    force from the band (A3) is only applied to the inner edge    perimeter, resulting in protruded deformation on the circumference    of the mattress to significantly compromise the resilience and    comfort of the mattress as it is directly related to the balanced    pressure and stabilizing effect of the mattress.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of the pull band in the inflated air mattress thateliminates those flaws found with the prior art. To achieve the purpose,the band of the present invention is made in an integral enclosure as abreakthrough in solving the problem of deformation at four corners ofthe mattress. Meanwhile, the band is linked either as an entire piece orby section at a certain inclination to guide the pull and the tractionotherwise on the top to the sides of the mattress in forming a perfectintegrated traction not only to reduce the deformation when the mattressis inflated but also to give automatic restoration for the shape of themattress. Furthermore, as the mattress is well balanced and stabilized,it offers the optimal resilience and comfort to sleep on.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction tothe present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects ofthe present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detaileddescription of the invention and the claims should be read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specificationand drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similarparts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will becomemanifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to thedetailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which apreferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of thepresent invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the prior art with a cutaway.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the preferred embodiment with a cutaway ofthe present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a construction of the pull band ofthe present invention.

FIG. 5 is schematic view showing another construction of the pull bandof the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a construction of another preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a construction of another preferredembodiment yet of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an outwardly inclined construction ofa lower pull band of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and arenot intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of theinvention in any way. Rather, the following description provides aconvenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of theinvention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made inthe function and arrangement of the elements described without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an inflatable air mattress (1) isessentially comprised of multiple pull rings (11) arranged in a checkfashion and an enclosure of pull band (12). The pull ring (11) similarto that of the prior art is provided with an air vent channel (111) andconnects the top (13) and the base (14) of the mattress (1) to define ita basic configuration. The pull band (12) as illustrated in FIG. 3surrounds and connects an inner perimeter (131) of the top (13) at acertain inclination to become, together with a girder (132) of the top(13), an oblique traction band to secure the configuration of themattress (1).

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the band (12) is comprised of acomplete strip enclosed to fence the inner space defined by the top (13)and the perimeter (131) of the top (13) before having both ends of theband (12) jointed in position. Four rounded corners (122) of the band(12) are further jointed in a triangle where a circular or an oval airvent channels (123) is disposed to give the band (12) an outwardlyinclined configuration as illustrated in FIG. 5.

In the outwardly inclined configuration of the band (12), a planedefined by a perimeter of the top edge of the band (12) is smaller insize than that by the base of the band (12). Accordingly, a smaller topedge perimeter (124) of the band (12) is connected to the perimeter ofthe top (13) while the greater base perimeter (125) is connected to thegirder (132) of the top (13) to define a built-in inclined configurationfor the band (12) for providing pull as an enclosure.

Now referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the enclosure of the band (12) is doneby section. Wherein, two sides (126) of each section of the band (12)are jointed in oblique for the entire band (12) to indicate inclinedconfiguration inwardly or outwardly as illustrated in FIG. 8.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the present invention is applied in amulti-layer inflatable air mattress (1) by dividing the band (12) intoan upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion of the band (12)is respectively jointed to the inner perimeter (131) of the mattress andthe girder (132). As extended, the lower portion of the band (12) ismade in a configuration corresponding to and in symmetry with that ofthe upper portion of the band (12) but arranged in a fashion of inverseinclination to respectively joint to a lower girder (133) of themattress and an inner perimeter (134) to provide the mattress (1) thetraction between the upper and the lower layers, thus to be furtherapplied to the multi-layer inflatable air mattress to provide interlayertraction mechanism.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together may also find a useful application in other types ofmethods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown anddescribed and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intendedto be limited to the details above, since it will be understood thatvarious omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the formsand details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be madeby those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spiritof the present invention.

1. A pull band in an inflatable air mattress is essentially comprised ofmultiple built-in pull rings and a pull band; wherein the band relatedto an enclosure of an integral strip in an inclined configuration; anair vent channel being provided at four rounded corners of the band; theupper perimeter of the top edge of the band being shorter than that ofthe bottom edge of the band; the upper perimeter of the band beingjointed to the inner perimeter of the mattress; and the lower perimeterof the band being jointed to that of the girder of the bank to providetraction by inclined joint.
 2. The pull band in the inflatable airmattress of claim 1, wherein both ends are jointed to form theenclosure; four rounded corners are jointed in a triangle; and eachjoint is provided with an air vent channel to give the inclinedconfiguration to the band.
 3. The pull band in the inflatable airmattress of claim 1, wherein the enclosure of the band is broken intotwo identical shorter sections and two identical longer sections thatare jointed to one another; each joint is made in an inclined fashion;four rounded corners being each provided with an air vent channel andindicating the same inclined fashion as that of the band.
 4. The pullband in the inflatable air mattress of claim 1, wherein the band isapplied to a multi-layer inflatable air mattress; the band beingarranged in an internally or externally inclined configuration; the bandbeing divided into an upper portion and a lower portion; both portionsbeing respectively jointed to the inner perimeter and the upper girderof the mattress as well as the lower girder and the base perimeter ofthe mattress in symmetric, corresponding and inverse fashion to providetraction among the layers.